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Glendoo is a typical featureless Wicklow summit, which requires a slog over bog, and would require good navigation. One approach to Glendoo is from the Coillte forest car park at O13848 22710A. (unfortunately several cars have been broken into at a time on occasions here). Cross the road to the west and go through the Coillte barrier. (this is across the road from the Tibradden Forest car park). Use the OSi map to follow the forest trails to approximately O13945 22144B where a board walk path will be spotted heading into the trees on the left. Follow this onto open hillside and use your navigational skills to ascend and cross a large area of bog. The nature of the terrain means that you may see no further than the bog surrounding you. The summit is any point close to O1418 2043C, and is unmarked. Views open up at the summit area and the Sugar Loaf is a curiosity with its conical summit sticking out above nearby Prince Williams Seat.
Another approach is from the Military Road to the west. Starting at O12819 20170D, follow a trail into the bog which will help you get near the summit area. Whatever approach you take, bring the gaiters! Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/303/comment/5063/

Picture from padodes

padodes on Glendoo Mountain, 2008

by padodes 11 Dec 2008

Our first approach to a mountain is often through its name, but Glendoo isn’t the most transparent in that regard. If it is derived from An Gleann Dubh, to what valley does it refer? Glencullen, with its sombre gap to the north, is perhaps a better candidate than bright Glencree on the other side, but that still does nothing to typify the mountain in itself. Duncan's Map of County Dublin (1820) calls it "Garrydow", which sounds like nothing more than a variation on the theme of Glendoo. An alternative name that is also mentioned in MV, “Log na hEala” (The Hollow of the Swan), seems to take a stab in the direction of the absurd, however. What self-respecting swan would ever sully its feathers on the peaty top of Glendoo? Curiously, that master of the absurd, Samuel Beckett, gives a description in one of his stories that comes closer to reality, when he writes of “the slopes of Glendoo, mottled like a leopard”. Seen from a distance, the patchwork of black peat and withered marsh grass that covers the hill in autumn and winter does have a spotty, tawny, slinky, feline appearance.

There’s no cairn on the broad, flat top of Glendoo, so where do you place the exact summit point? Standing on the perkiest tuft of grass I could find, I recorded it as O 1418 2043C, but it could have been anywhere else within a radius of 100m or more. Besides the remarkably good views from the top, the one curiosity that always stands out is the triangle of the Sugar Loaf to the south, peering over the shoulder of Prince William’s Seat. Although it’s 85m lower than Glendoo, it looks a good deal higher – just another of those orographic optical illusions, like streams that flow uphill.

My own favourite approach to Glendoo is along the ridge from Prince William’s Seat and Knocknagun, having climbed up from Curtlestown Wood. You need a rock-hard, frosty morning to enjoy it, though, since all the hollows are full of spongy sphagnum and the trail is normally mired with sticky black peat. The photo is from the top of Glendoo, looking northwards to Kippure on one such day. The rainbow, bottom right, is just lens flare, courtesy of the slanting winter sun. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/303/comment/3476/

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brenno on Glendoo Mountain, 2009

by brenno 14 Dec 2009

Not a comment on Glendoo but took a stroll through Cruach Wood for the first time in ages and noticed that Mountain Meitheal have built a very convenient boardwalk from the forest road through a firebreak up the open mountain below Glendoo. Certainly will allow for much easier access to this part of Prince Williams Seat-Knocknagun-Glendoo ridge as one big problem in the past has been finding a firebreak through Cruach Wood that isn't a total swamp. The MM boardwalk is only 400m long but makes a world of difference and can open up a part of the Dublin Mouintains that otherwise doesn't get a lot of traffic. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/303/comment/4289/

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Small Circuit of Glendoo Mountain

by pplsgod 4 May 2010

Did this walk on Friday 30th April 2010. Parked the car at Curtlestown Wood and headed along the Wicklow Way. At approximately O184 177E there is a turn in the path, at this point the Wicklow Way continues ahead but I took the turn left which runs along the edge of the forestry to your left hand side and Prince William's Seat to your right

I continued along the path until started to lose ground again, then I turned due north and arrived exactly onto the top of Prince William's Seat. Then I followed the traditional track towards Knocknagun, it is well worn in now and is easy to navigate. From Knocknagun summit (not the large stone to the left of the summit as you are approaching from Prince William's Seat) I took a bearing for Glendoo, I could see the top but as some clouds began to roll in I decided it was best to take a compass bearing

I first took in the summit marked 586m and headed over to the other summit marked 582m before heading for O 157 200F (this is approximately the edge of the forestry) where you pick up a forest trail which will (after an hour or so walking) bring you back to the Wicklow Way at O 182 186G. From here it is a simple walk back down to the carpark at the forest entrance. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/303/comment/4677/

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Picture from eamonoc : Dry feet Prince Will`s Seat?

Picture: Dry feet Prince Will`s Seat?

That will Doo nicely

by eamonoc 1 Mar 2011

28/2/2010. Beautiful morning headed for Curtlestown wood, followed Wicklow Way path to junction between raven`s rock and Prince Will`s Seat Followed path to left up towards Prince William`s Seat.. Continuation to Knocknagun was along a very wet, boggy eroded path, passed amazing rock Tor and Summit of Knocknagun was just a little higher on the right . Spectacular views on all sides from this top. Headed off again along a very boggy path towards Glendoo this was a long haul over this type of ground. Reccommend a good dry day mid summer or a frosty bright winter day. Glendoo must be the wettest Summit I have ever stood upon, thank you Mountainviews.
Headed back over same ground to starting point, time taken 2hrs 35mins.
It was delightful to see plenty of frog spawn at different points along this route Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/303/comment/6256/

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Names around Glendoo

by barryd 3 Nov 2010

It might be worth clarifying that the Irish name listed here Log na hEala is unlikely to refer to the summit area but rather to the valley to the NE, that above 'Glendoo House'. The name Lognahala appears written slantwise along this valley feature on Nevill's map of Wicklow, 1760.
Also on this map, Glenduff (dark glen) is written along the valley of Glendoo. The word Bog Mtns appears up near the tops and what looks like G.dow. Finally of interest, is that a hill labelled Knockbrack, as far as I can read, sits where what is now called Tibradden Mtn. So there's Ballybrack which is known now below and Knockbrack. Trackback: http://mountainviews.ie/summit/303/comment/6157/